Israel will not cooperate with a UN human rights commission investigating violations of rights by Israel in the Palestinian territories, reported AFP, quoting Israeli military radio Saturday.

Israel took its position because the commission has already determined the army has committed "war crimes" in the occupied territories, the radio said.

Formed by three experts, South African professor, John Dugard, US professor, Richard Falk, and former Bangladeshi foreign minister Kamal Hussein, the commission is due to begin work on February 18th, travelling to Jerusalem, Gaza City, Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem and Beit Jala, said press reports.

A special session of the UN Human Rights Commission set up the committee on October 19th.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, visited Israel and the Palestinian territories in November, when she denounced the conditions in which Palestinian civilians were living.

She recommended sending international observers to the area and a halt to the construction of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories.

More than 400 people, most of them Palestinians, have been killed in violence since the eruption of the Intifada on September 28th -- Albawaba.com